In the Beginning
by Moondust2
Summary: Memorians have always spoken of the Great Rainbow that created all things. How were ponies created, and why are the sentient?


In the beginning  
  
Applejack laughed as she watched the children run about and play. Only baby Glory wasn't joining in. "What's wrong, my child?" asked Applejack to the young unicorn.  
  
"Oh, I was just wonderin'," answered the baby unicorn.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"About where the moon came from."  
  
"Applejack?" asked baby Surprise as she flew over, "Why can't I use magic?"  
  
"Well, I know a story."  
  
"A story?" shouted baby Cotton Candy, "Tell it! Please?"  
  
"All right," smiled Applejack, "This should answer all your questions. It goes like this." * * * Many, many millennia ago, before the foundations of what was to become our beautiful Dream Castle were set, and before even the first pony opened it's eyes and stared around itself with wonder, there was the Great Rainbow. The Great Rainbow is omnipotent, but benevolent, and treasures joy above all things. Some say that it is because Its very powers are a form of joy, but I wouldn't know. As for the Great Rainbow, It isn't telling. The Rainbow's powers lie in the seven colored stones that are found within the sentient, colored cloud.  
  
Before the universe was created, everything was black. The Great Rainbow spread the seven stones out and began to create, as an artist molds clay. Later, our ancestors gave a week seven days, one day for each stone the Rainbow used.  
  
The Great Rainbow used the red stone to create the earth. This is why when the great mountains explode, the lava flows red.  
  
With the green stone, the Rainbow covered the earth with a lush blanket of plants, from fields of grass much like seas, to deep jungles where the light can barely reach the ground.  
  
The Rainbow then decided that the earth was too cold, and created the sun, moon, and stars with the yellow stone. It created the sun to rule over day, but as the earth is a sphere the sun couldn't cover it all at once, thus the Rainbow set the earth at a spin. It realized that on any one point on the earth, when the sun wasn't facing the land, it experienced total darkness. This darkness was cold and deep, so to brighten it slightly, It put the moon in the heavens. The stars were scattered like grain across the black sky, and the Rainbow set the moon to rule them all.  
  
With the indigo stone, the Rainbow created all manner of weather. It filled the world with clouds. Water is life, and the Rainbow itself knows this. That is why after a long rain a rainbow can sometimes be glimpsed dancing among the clouds. That is the Rainbow watching the greenness and life return to dry soil.  
  
The waters from the rain needed a place to be stored, so the Great Rainbow created large rivers and lakes, with the blue stone, and covered more than half the earth with ocean. The color blue delighted the Rainbow, so It created a blue sky for day as well.  
  
The earth seemed too quiet with only plants, so with the purple stone the Rainbow created all the animals, and lastly, It created the earth pony. To the pony the Great Rainbow gave a shining locket, and told the pony to guard it well, and with it protect all the other animals. In return, the Rainbow would give each of the pony's ancestors a little bit of magic, and as a mark of that magic, each pony would be given a symbol. The pony accepted the locket. The Great Rainbow told the young pony that in the locket was the light to drive back the most oppressive darkness. It contains a great deal of power, as well as light, and if used in a way that is to take away the freedom of others, than the user would be punished. The pony promised to treasure it, and keep the locket from harm always. To this day, that promise still stands with the Great Rainbow.  
  
The earth was still cold, even with the sun, so to keep the animals warm, he used the orange and final stone to create fire. It is said that the original flame still burns deep in the mountains, and possesses strange characteristics, but that is another story in itself."  
  
* * *  
  
"Applejack, you said there was only earth ponies, where did unicorns come from?" pondered young Glory.  
  
"And what about pegasi?" asked baby Surprise.  
  
"I'm getting to that!" laughed Applejack.  
  
* * * Within a few years after the creation, there was a small herd of ponies on the earth. There were about six or seven of them, and all were earth ponies. During this time the Great Rainbow walked among the people on earth as their ruler, and saw that everything remain in order.  
  
The herd was fine, and grazed on the greenest of grasses. Some were content as they were, but others had a thirst for more.  
  
Atomia was the quietest of the ponies. She often wandered about by herself, on the hilltops. She wished to know all there was to know, and had a peculiar curiosity about everything. She wanted to know why the wind blew through the treetops, and why fire burned. On the hills she often sat alone thinking, but no answers would come.  
  
One day the Great Rainbow was walking through and saw her sitting alone. It asked her what was wrong. She turned to the Rainbow and said "There is so much in this world worth knowing. Can you give me the wisdom to answer all my questions?"  
  
"Child," the Rainbow said, "For a gift such as that there is a hard price to pay. Wisdom is found on the most desolate of mountaintops, where the grass grows thin and stiff, and flowers rarely bloom. To have it is to be lonely in your knowledge. You can still be joyful, yes, but that joy will always be short lived. You will find that the world can be a cruel place. Does it seem a fair price to pay?"  
  
"Oh yes," said Atomia. "I understand. But already I am lonely here, am I not? And as long as I feel this longing I shall never be happy. It is a fair price to pay."  
  
The Great Rainbow touched the seven stones to her, and Atomia was given the wisdom to find what she wanted to know. It didn't give her the answers, only the means to find them. It also granted her full use of Magic. Not the kinds that you can feel running like tendrils across a forest that all animals can use, but instead it was magic of her own. To store it, the Rainbow created a horn and placed it atop her head. The horn reminded Atomia of what the Rainbow had said of wisdom being a desolate mountaintop. The Rainbow called her a unicorn. This is why Atomia is the patron raii of the unicorns.  
  
Atomia was not the only discontent pony. A young stallion called Falcon envied the birds. He liked to move around and explore. He could never stay long in one place. He was constantly practicing his jumps in the field by the woods, and exploring every trail he could find. Of all the foods, he liked fruit best, but fruit grew on the high branches of the trees. It was difficult to eat unless it had fallen.  
  
One day the rainbow found Falcon staring up at the fruit tree. It asked him what was wrong. "I wish to be able to fly like the birds. As I am now I cannot travel far quickly, and I cannot reach the fruit."  
  
"Child," the Rainbow said, "For such a gift there is a price to pay. Your bones would become delicate, and you would not be able to tumble about in the grass. Also, you would lose touch with the earth and thus lose the magic you have. You would also have to watch what you eat, as heavy ponies could never fly. And a last thing, you would find it cold, because you will lose the heavy winter down of most ponies. Birds do not have warm, heavy down which is why they migrate in winter months."  
  
"I understand," answered Falcon, "The magic I can use now means little to me, as does tumbling in the grass. I can live without eating a lot, as long as I can eat fruit, which would be more than I can eat now. Any coldness will be a mere price to pay for the freedom of flight."  
  
"Are you sure it is what you want?"  
  
Falcon thought for a moment. "Yes, I am sure."  
  
Again the Rainbow gathered the seven stones and touched them to the discontent pony. Falcon braced himself as two beautiful feathered wings unfurled from his back. He felt his bones grow lighter, and also another odd sensation. It was almost an emptiness. He realized that that was the magic of the earth leaving him. But to fill this emptiness he became aware of all the breezes around him, and he could tell a large manner about weather as well. His transformation was complete. With a jump, he hovered in the air level with the head of the Great Rainbow. "Thank you," he said.  
  
"I shall call you a pegasus," said the Rainbow, "I hope you are happy." This is why Falcon is the patron raii of the pegasi.  
  
As the Rainbow made his rounds he found yet another discontent pony. She was Revir. Revir was well known for her singing. He found her sitting on the shore and staring at the lake. "What's wrong, Revir?" It asked.  
  
"I wish I could swim. Pony legs aren't very efficient for swimming far. I love the water more than anything, and I wish to explore the oceans. It must feel like flying, only without bad winds and weather to hinder you. Also, down in the water you cannot feel the effects of gravity, unlike the birds in the air."  
  
"My child," spoke the Rainbow in Its calm voice of wisdom, "To live underwater with the fish would mean never to see land again, to feel the earth beneath your hooves or to sleep on a fine nest of grass. The only world you would know would be that which is underwater, but you would still remember land."  
  
"I wouldn't care to never see land again. I would give it all up for a world of weightlessness, and such beauty as a coral reef."  
  
"Are you sure?" asked the Rainbow.  
  
The small earth pony pondered for a moment. "Yes," she said finally with a firm tone, "that is what I want."  
  
Once again the rainbow took the stones and touched them to the pony. She fell into the shallow end as her legs began to dissolve. In their place grew two fins and a large curled tail. She felt a pair of gills form beside each ear but noticed that she was breathing air just fine. She gave a questioning look to the Rainbow.  
  
"Just in case" It answered. "You can now swim wherever you please. I gave you also the power to turn yourself liquid. Use this power to travel to other bodies of water."  
  
Revir tried each flipper than her tail. "Thank you!" she grinned.  
  
"You are now one with the sea, so I shall call you a sea pony. I hope you are pleased." With that, Revir became the patron raii of the sea ponies. Revir made a splash as she dived to explore the lake.  
  
Now that all was well and everyone seemed content, the Great Rainbow returned to his place in the sky. We are reminded, however, by our ancestors that wishes for change do carry a price, and that we should think of that price before we wish them.  
  
In the years that passed the herd grew larger, and broke off into many sects. We of Dream Valley are in the main herd that was originally established by the Rainbow. Although we are no longer the tiny herd we once were, we still carry with us the results of our ancestors wishes." Applejack glanced from young Glory's horn to baby Surprise's wings. "We should all be thankful." 


End file.
